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Gun Amnesty a Gandhian and Christ-like initiative, says Anglican Church

June 16 2017Another national gun amnesty is a wonderful idea, Melbourne Anglican Bishop Philip Huggins said today. “It is a practical peace-making initiative and we congratulate the Federal Government.”

Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan today announced the first national gun amnesty since the Port Arthur massacre in 1996, a three-month amnesty from July 1, in an attempt to keep Australia's 260,000 illegal guns out of terrorists' hands.

Bishop Huggins, who called for such an amnesty in November 2015, said fewer guns meant less innocent suffering. It was one thing for people to be angry, seized with hatred, unable to constrain their violent impulses and quite another to be like that with access to weapons.

“We see in America the awful suffering that results from their approach to weapons. Their delusional link between human freedom and owning guns causes so much unnecessary suffering. There are voices in our public debate who want to promote a similar approach to weapons here,” Bishop Huggins said.

“One wonders what part of reality they are actually in touch with. It is certainly not the reality of families who have lost a loved one because some violent person also had access to a gun.

Both Jesus Christ and Gandhi believed we should look to the needs of the most vulnerable and be shaped by them.

“The Federal Government’s decision to initiate a new national gun amnesty is Christ-like and Gandhian and in its wisdom and practicality.”